


With Love

by sinemoras09



Series: Solace and Thought [4]
Category: Kemono no Souja
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, F/M, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-28
Updated: 2012-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-31 20:35:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/348122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinemoras09/pseuds/sinemoras09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An execution at dawn. Damiya survives. AU. Gen. Canon Damiya/Seimiya. Warnings for character death, suicide. Spoilers for the end of the series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With Love

They pushed him forward. Seimiya watched, her face a perfect mask, as the guards shoved Damiya onto his knees, yanking the chains back and forcing him to look upright.

"You killed Oba-sama," Seimiya said. Her voice was low, tremulous. "Why?"

Damiya closed his eyes.

"It was...an unfortunate...accident. But believe me when I tell you, what I did was for this country's good."

A strike. Damiya's head pitched to the side. The cut on his lip bled; he lowered his head and spat out blood.

They would execute him at dawn. It was a sentence befitting the man who had murdered his Queen: she would sit up by the executioner's post, wait as he sharpened the ax, then order the first strike. It was her duty, no one else's: not even Shunan could give the order.

There was a basin of water beneath the barred window, and dimly Seimiya could see the blood-soaked rags steeping beside it. Shunan stepped forward, touching her arm.

"It is enough," Shunan said. "My men and I will handle it."

In front of her, Damiya was wheezing. Breathing hard, as if each breath caused him exquisite pain. Seimiya could see the bruises on his face; his hair was tangled and matted with old dried blood.

"Shunan." Seimiya's eyes filled with tears. "I need to speak with him," Seimiya said. She looked up at Shunan, pleading. "Please."

Slowly, Damiya lifted his eyes. Shunan's mouth thinned.

"Fine," Shunan said. "But my men and I will be outside."

He motioned toward the guard, carefully closing the door.

Damiya wheezed, and Seimiya could hear the sound of something dripping from the ceiling. Damiya moved and she could see the slow seep of blood from the knife wound in his side; the wound was soaking through his shirt.

"You must be transfixed," Damiya said. He touched the gash; she could see the blood beneath his fingers. "Your first time seeing a prisoner as a Queen."

She knelt forward. A patch of filthy light spilled from the bars of the open window, and dimly she could see Damiya close his eyes.

"How could you?" Seimiya said. "Oba-sama loved you. We all loved you. And yet your plotted to have her die."

"As I said, it was unintended," Damiya said. "The Wajyaku were threatening to revolt and the Grand Duke's army would have us overrun. Your grandmother was a fool," Damiya said. "Her eyes were closed to the ways of the world. I only tried to show her the light. That she died...was an unfortunate oversight."

"And what about me?" Seimiya said. "You wanted to marry me. You wanted to become king and take over Oba-sama's throne."

"You forget, Seimiya," Damiya said. "The Wajyaku and the Lazal wanted to marry you as well." His eyes were hard. Slowly he pulled himself upright, the chains clanking with effort. "A virgin Queen, unpracticed and untested. They were wolves baring their teeth to fresh prey, and yet you accuse me of taking advantage?"

He rose. The patch of moonlight fell on Damiya's face; she could see the shadows under his eyes.

"It was to protect you," Damiya said. "It was always to protect you. Seimiya."

The ceiling dripped, the leak above them dripping into the basin of water.

"You told me that you loved me," Seimiya said. She looked up at him, agonized. "You lied."

Shadows crossed his face; she couldn't see his eyes.

"Seimiya," Damiya said. "Will it keep you up at night, knowing my blood will be on your hands?

I know you," Damiya said. "However you may deny this, I am the one who knows you best. It is not in your nature to be so cruel."

"And what is your nature, Oji-sama?" Seimiya said. Damiya sighed.

"To be one who is willing to dirty his hands, if only to spare the more tender-hearted," Damiya said. "My poor Seimiya. How awful it must be, being in this position. I can only imagine the torment you are going through: having to kill the man who swore to love you."

"And shall I pardon you, to spare my fragile heart?" Seimiya said.

"You cannot," Damiya said. There was a knock at the door.

"Seimiya," Shunan said. The door opened. Guards flanked them on every side. "Are you done?"

Seimiya glanced back at Damiya, who slunk back against the corner of the cell.

"I am," Seimiya said. She glanced back at Damiya, before shutting the door.

 

*****

 

"Seimiya-sama!" Her attendants pounded on the door. "Seimiya-sama! Please--"

Seimiya opened it. Nami was standing. Her face was pale.

"Damiya-sama," Nami said.

"Damiya-sama. He killed himself."

And Seimiya stopped, because suddenly everything felt so wrong.

 

*****

 

He had held his head underwater. The basin, which the guards used to clean up the blood from Damiya's face, had been left beneath the window, and that night Damiya had used it to his advantage.

He must have had tremendous willpower. Forcing his head underwater, refusing to rise for breath. The basin was shallow and he could have lifted his head at any time. But he didn't: he had killed himself so that she wouldn't have to.

"Oji-sama!" Seimiya pushed through the throng of guards, falling to her knees. "Oji-sama! Oji-sama!"

His face and neck were wet, yellow hair plastered in thick strands about his face. His skin was purple and mottled and Seimiya sobbed openly, clutching at his chest and shoulders, which were horrifyingly dry.

"Oji-sama," Seimiya sobbed. Shunan grabbed her by the armpits, yanking her upright. "Oji-sama."

"Seimiya," Shunan said, and he pulled her into her arms and held her as she sobbed.

 

*****

 

_She had fallen asleep crying. That was the first thing Seimiya remembered, sinking into the warmth of the blankets on Damiya's bed. The shock of Shunan's marriage proposal had jarred her, and after Damiya had escorted her inside, she let him fold her up against him, holding her until she had fallen asleep._

_She felt safe beside him, pressed up against his shirtfront and cradled in his arms._

_It was raining when she woke up, half-curled up on the side of Damiya's bed. The sky was dark and overcast and the thin trickle of light that had worked its way inside barely traced the outline of the room before her._

_"You are awake?" Damiya said, and Seimiya's hand flew to her mouth. She sat upright, eyes wide and embarrassed._

_"Oji-sama! Forgive me--I didn't mean to!"_

_"It is all right," Damiya said. He bent forward, lips finding the curve of her brow and pressing a soft kiss there, a hand cupping the side of her cheek._

_"It makes me happy, seeing you here."_

_At the coronation, the man who would be her husband was smiling, and Seimiya stepped close, heart in her throat and facing the crowd of people in front of her. This was her kingdom, the bruised black of the roads and tall white wall dividing them. She had never felt as grateful for him as she did now, this man who had risen through the ranks through subtle manipulation and open fear, when he stood quietly and stepped beside her._

_Seimiya breathed. She felt his fingers curl around hers, and in that moment, she did not feel so alone._


End file.
